In-Home Lifestyle Session - client guide
Thank you for booking a session at home!
I don't make it a secret that this is my favorite kind of session. I absolutely adore being able to photograph a family in their natural element. It makes for more comfortable posed photos (we usually do this at the start and finish), and much more opportunity for candids. Moving through the home as you normally might, hanging out in a family spot, making a snack, jumping around on the furntiure, playing outside - the crazy and homey life that a family experiences every day - these moments are such. pleasure to capture. And though most of these things are daily or near daily occurances, rarely are they truly captured by an experienced photographer. I'm so happy to step into that role and delivery a family day-in-the-life photos, using my photographer eye to grab an honest and artistic record of the everyday things that might be completely forgotten in just a few years.
How should we prep?
This depends on you. If you'd like to tidy your house, go for it! If you'd like to keep it messy because that might be how it usually is, do it! I don't judge or expect anything in particular. If you'd like the posed shots to be tidy, then maybe tidy the spots you might want those photos. But please don't feel the need to clean the entire house and/or yard unless you'd truly like to.
If there are some activities you might want photographed, have them ready to go or prepped - especially if we're shorter on time. Perhaps make a list (even if just in your head) about things you could do together as a family that might represent what you're like at this time. You do not have to stay together the entire shoot. You can split up and I can follow some of you for a bit, then go to the others for another. The kids can show me what they like to do as individuals.
Discuss this with your family, and have them help decide what to do during the session so that they know what's coming up and/or have things to look forward to!
What can we expect?
First - that it might start out awkward. Having someone else in the home with a big camera trained on them while they go about doing anything is strange! I don't expect you to be immediately comfortable, and it's totally okay to acknowledge it. I'm never judging. I will do my best to ease you into your comfort zone and get everyone feeling good. Kids usually help here - if they're allowed to act silly and goofy or do the things they love to do, they'll quickly dissolve tension you might feel. We can't help but feel natural with kids that are demanding a good time.
When I arrive, I'll bring in my bag of cameras, lenses and a flash or two. I photograph almost entirely in natural light, but sometimes (mostly for posed images) a flash is necessary because it might be too dark. I'll get myself set up quickly, and move right into taking photos. First a couple candids, and then we'll do some posed images. After that, we do whatever you guys would like to do. I have no set agenda - that's for you to make! If at any point you want to do more posed images, I'm happy to. We can also do other variations of posed images - kids together, each kid alone, parents with each child, parents alone, etc. Otherwise I will take lots of candids and journalistic or lifestyle type photographs.
We can move around the house doing various things, take some pictures in each child's space, visit the play space, hang out in the kitchen, and go in the yard to play. We can grab photos of each person with items that they love best right now. We can play with the family pets or get posed images with them too! You can pretend I'm not there, or I can help decide what to do at any point, interact and try to instigate some fun pictures.
What we do or how much we do is dependent on your family, your wishes, and also how much time we have.
Before I leave, we'll get one more posed photograph of the family!
Any other advice?
Yes! Please visit this page that I set up with helpful info and tips for family sessions.
When will we get our photos?
Editing can take me anywhere from 2-6 weeks, depending on the needs of my family and young children. I will deliver highlights to you within 2 weeks, but the entire gallery will likely take me longer. However, candids are much easier to edit, and I tend to get them to clients faster.
If there are any photos you'd like me to prioritize and get to you by 2 weeks or before, please let me know and I will do so!